So, just imagine that it’s the middle of December, and the snow is falling fast. The streets are quiet, blanketed in white, and the forecast is calling for more snow in the coming days. Your small business is right downtown, and it fully relies on local customers to drop by for their daily needs.
Sure, you might be operating some of your business from your laptop, but for the most part, you need to be physically in your workspace to help the locals. But with the snow piling up, fewer and fewer people are venturing out.
The question becomes, how do you keep your doors open and your business thriving during this snow? Sometimes, snow just sticks around for days or even weeks, depending on where you live. So you really need to think about that too. It might be hard to even catch up on loss profits if the snow sticks around long enough. Well, here’s exactly what you’ll need to do if you want to make sure your business survives this winter!
Plan for the Worst, Hope for the Best
Winter weather is anything but predictable. One day, it’s a light flurry, and the next, it’s a full-blown blizzard. So, for small businesses, this unpredictability can be a major hurdle. But with that all said, the key is to plan ahead. Stock up on essentials, communicate with your customers early, and be ready to adapt as the weather changes. Overall, flexibility can make the difference between a slow day and a complete shutdown.
Hire a Snow Plowing Company
When the snow starts to pile up, a clear path to your door is crucial. While sure, sometimes the city may salt the roads and sidewalks, maybe even snow plow, it doesn’t mean they’ll do a good job. Actually, it doesn’t even mean your parking lot will get cleared, either. So, you need your business to be accessible, and yes, sometimes that means taking it all into your own hands.
Yes, you read that right. Sometimes, it’s as simple as hiring a snow plowing company like greshamsinc.com to help you out. Again, sometimes the city might have one, but this might not even be daily. Plus, if you have walkways, they can clean those, too.
Keep Customers Engaged Even in the Cold
So, you really need to keep in mind that customers are less likely to leave their homes when it snows (which is understandable. So, in that case, it’s time to bring your business to them—digitally, of course! Chances are, you might have already been doing this, but it still helps to post and be active more regularly online during the snow days in your town.
For example, you can use your platforms to keep your customers informed about your winter hours, special offers, and any delivery or curbside pickup options. A little creativity in your marketing can warm up even the coldest days (such as free hot cocoa with a purchase or something).
Be Prepared for Power Outages
Depending on where you live and how common snow is, you might need to look into this. If you live in Michigan, then you may not have to worry about it (as the infrastructure is already prepared and built for snow storms), but if you live in Texas, then, of course, you’re going to have to be prepared.
